The Hidden Digidesign Pro Tools (part 1)

Pro Tools, as a cost-effective hard disk multitrack recording and editing system, is without compare and massively respected throughout the industry. Everyone knows about Pro Tools recording and editing capabilities, and about the blossoming range of TDM plug-ins that make Pro Tools an all-in-one system ready for just about anything...

By
David Mellor

Thursday January 1, 2004

Pro Tools, as a cost-effective hard disk multitrack recording and editing system,
is without compare and massively respected throughout the industry. Everyone
knows about Pro Tools recording and editing capabilities, and about the
blossoming range of TDM plug-ins that make Pro Tools an all-in-one system ready
for just about anything. But Pro Tools has hidden talents too. Talents that
are only appreciated by a few but deserve wider attention, and you dont
need to pay the price tag of a full system to reap considerable rewards from
the basic Pro Tools software in a minimal configuration.

Pro Tools and MIDI

It is fairly well known that Pro Tools possesses MIDI functions, but 95% of
users have heard from somewhere that they are no good and not worth
bothering about. This isnt true. Pro Tools MIDI features may be
basic, but maybe for some users they might be exactly what is required. And
unlike the bonus features in other software, the MIDI side of Pro
Tools actually works! There are two ways you can make use of MIDI, firstly by
importing a MIDI sequence file from another MIDI sequencer application such
as Cubase or Logic. This is a practical way of working since a musician or programmer
can do all the musical work in his or her favourite sequencer and then hand
it over as a completed item to the non-musician recording engineer to import
into Pro Tools. Although the barriers between musicians and engineers have broken
down in recent years there is still merit in focussing on core skills and not
allowing oneself to be distracted by another field of activity in which you
could never become an expert. Bringing a sequence file into Pro Tools isnt
difficult, but there is a procedure to it that needs to be understood. Firstly,
in the sequencer software, all modern sequencers of quality, including hardware
sequencers, have the ability to convert a sequence from their native file format
into a generic MIDI file which should be understandable to any other sequencer,
and to Pro Tools. Pro Tools can recognise MIDI files type 0 and type 1. A type
0 MIDI file contains all the MIDI data of the entire composition in a single
track, and will appear as such in the Pro Tools Edit window. This isnt
really in the spirit of Pro Tools so a type 1 file where each track in the original
sequence is retained as an individual item, and will appear as a separate track
in the Edit window, is to be preferred.

This is straightforward but there is one little problem. Neither of the standard
MIDI file formats retains any information on the MIDI port assignment. If you
remember your MIDI technical stuff, then in a basic Macintosh MIDI setup the
Macs printer port will be connected to one MIDI interface, the modem port
to another (often both interfaces are contained within a single box). In a more
sophisticated setup with a better MIDI interface, there could be several more
outputs, each capable of carrying sixteen MIDI channels. This means that whoever
programs the MIDI sequence has to list the MIDI device that is allocated to
each track. For example, track 1 might be a Korg M1 set to MIDI channel 2. This
will need to be reset when the file is imported into Pro Tools. Its not
a great hardship if you know in advance that it has to be done. MIDI sequence
files retain the tempo and meter information of the original sequence and this
can be imported into Pro Tools with all the other MIDI data. Pro Tools is as
happy measuring the timeline in bars and beats as it is in minutes and seconds,
SMPTE values or feet and frames. This will be useful when recording the audio
tracks and, if need be, Pro Tools can generate a metronome click by sending
a MIDI note-on command to any suitable MIDI module.